Hey gang! Spring is around the corner and I know that my inbox will be full of Spring time shape up requests. To keep us ahead of the last minute slim down dash, here’s my 6 quick and easy tricks to burn excess calories.
First, remember that in order to truly lose 1 pound of body weight, we must burn 3,500 calories more than we consume. Assuming your diet and activity remain consistent, adding these 6 tricks to your daily routine can result in losing 1 additional pound every ~18 days. Not bad huh? Also be sure to note that these estimates are based on 150-160 pound person. A lighter person will burn fewer calories and a heavier person will burn more.
Brit’s 6 Tricks
Stand up at your desk instead of sitting. Standing burns about 50 percent more calories than sitting. Standing at your desk for 30 minutes will burn about 72 calories (2X the amount burned while sitting). Standing instead of sitting for 30 minutes = 36 calories
Learn to Laugh. 15 minutes of laughter = 20 calories
Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Climbing two flights of stairs, three times per day = 30 calories
Dance in the mirror. Dancing is a fun, self-confidence boosting calorie blaster. So twerk a little something while getting dressed for work in the morning 🙂 Dancing for 10 minutes = 58 calories
Stretch in front of the TV. Doesn’t matter if you’re enjoying Scandal or the Bachelor, be sure to stretch instead of sit on the couch. 8-10 minutes of stretching = 31 calories
Choose the parking spot farthest from your building entrance. Walking for an extra 5 minutes = 25 calories
Alright, you guys asked for it so here it is, another Lose the Pooch Workout. In case you missed the last one, you can CLICK HERE check it out. Now, before I get started, you should know that the abs, or rectus abdominus, is actually all ONE muscle group that forms an “8-pack.” So you can’t really work your lower abs without working your upper abs (and vise versa).
However, there are some exercises that really target the lower region of the abdominals. I selected a few of my favorites and effectively sequenced them to create the GRIT by Brit Lose the Pooch Workout. For best results, complete this workout 2-3 times per week for 4 weeks. Also, be sure monitor your diet by avoiding foods and habits that cause bloating (i.e. too much sodium and lack of water consumption).
Tighten that Tummy! xoxo, Brit
Instructional Photos
Boat Pose
Boat Pose (with knees bent, you can straighten your legs to increase intensity)
Single Leg Lowers
Single Leg Lowers with Upper Body Crunch
Plank Knee Pulls w/ Toe Slide
Plank knee tuck with toes slide – place a towel under your toes and do these on a smooth, hard floor.
Hanging Knee Pulls
Hanging Knee Raise – You can straighten you leg for fully extended leg raises to increase intensity (Source: Women’s Health Magazine)
#GRITbyBrit representin’ at the #FreshFoamDallas Launch Party!
Last week I approached by New Balance to be one of the first to review their newest running shoe, Fresh Foam 980. Now most of my reviews on GRIT by Brit are unsolicited – I just review places and products that generally intrigue me. However, since New Balance is a legit brand, I was quite flattered that they valued my opinion so I happily agreed to test these bad boys.
Fresh Foam Collection for Women (Men’s available too obviously)
I know I should start off by providing feedback on the shoe’s comfort, foot support, design quality, etc., but in true GRIT by Brit fashion, I must first comment on the style. When my sneakers arrived in the mail, I was pumped to discover their boldness and brightness. I LOVE NEON and there’s lots of neon! Also, the soles are colored. I hate white soles on sneakers because they always get dirty which isn’t cute.
#FreshFoamDallas Launch Party
After receiving the sneakers, I co-hosting a #FreshFaom launch party and 5K Fun Run at Luke’s Locker sporting goods store in Dallas along with some local running coaches and representatives from New Balance corporate headquarters. Everyone was super nice, fun and had lots of GRIT!
So now let me shed some light on the running experience… While I am a self-proclaimed “group fitness junkie” I’m not really a “runner.” I mean, I enjoy 2-4 miles every now and then when the weather is nice but I don’t have excellent running form nor do I own real running shoes.
The run was AWESOME. First, I was personally proud to keep up with all of these hardcore runners. Second, I was shocked by the comfort of my running experience. I usually run in my Nike cross training shoes that I wear to teach kickboxing. Let me tell you, running in shoes specifically designed for running makes a HUGE difference. My run was bouncy and felt like it was minimizing the impact on the knees. After tearing my ACL in college and having reconstructive surgery, I’m really careful about putting to much impact on my knees. Overall, I’m not 100% sure if my pleasant running experience should be completely credited to New Balance Fresh Foam or to just having real running shoes. Either way, it was a good experience and definitely enticed me to run more frequently (in running shoes that is).
After our run, we celebrated with ice cold beers, yummy snacks and laughs. As icing on the cake, I met a fellow Dallas food/fitness Blogger! Be sure to follow Stephanie at Food and Fitness 4 Real.
Me and Stephanie, author of @FoodFit4Real
Overall, I can’t honestly say whether or not the New Balance Fresh Foam sneakers are a superior running shoe. But I can say that they are, in fact, designed for running and if you aren’t use to wearing running shoes these are great first pair to purchase for yourself.
Hey guys! I hope you are enjoying your weekend and looking forward to a wonderful week ahead. As you plan for your weekly grind, I just wanted to share a little nutritional nugget of wisdom. Now, you guys know that I firmly believe getting an early start to the day. That’s right, 5:30 am wake up call! There are numerous wellness benefits of being an “early bird” – get up and get that worm! Not only does waking up early help your productivity, but doing so also entices you to eat breakfast which gets your metabolism going.
When it comes to weight-management, studies show, it’s not just HOW MUCH you eat but WHEN you eat that affects your weight. Long story short, here’s why you should eat your BIG meals EARLY in the day and skip late night snacking…
People who eat after 8pm have higher Body Mass Indexes (BMI) than those who don’t
Calories consumed at night are not processed as efficiently as those during the day
Sleep disruption is likely if your stomach is working hard to process food
You are likely to eat larger portions later in the day than earlier (Weil Cornell Medical Research)
At night, you are most likely eating out of boredom, NOT because you are genuinely hungry
That said, you’re probably now asking, “How can I consume calories earlier in the day instead of later?” Well, search no further. I put together this list of 5 Tips to Eat Breakfast Like a King and Dinner Like a Beggar. Check it out 🙂
#TBT Enjoying warm weather in Martha’s Vineyard last year with my “Fit Friend” Brittany – 2 Brit’s in 2 Bikinis 😉
Hey Gang! While it’s FREEZING outside, I can see the little light at the end of the tunnel that is Spring Break. Despite being 29 years old and not having a true Spring Break, I like to still prepare my bikini body – hehe. That said, I’ve been digging through my workout repository and have pulled my 3 fiercest, most effective AB workouts…
Now, the plan is to do 1 workout every other day for the next 6 days. So do 1 workout, rest/do cardio, do the other workout, rest/do cardio…and so on. Got it? The idea is to give your abs and core one day of rest in between workouts so your muscles can repair and gain strength. Overworking your abs without adequate rest prevents you from gaining the full benefits of the workout. Alright… let’s do this!
As a group fitness instructor I see several hard workingmen and women regularly attend the gym and still have difficulty losing weight. They log hours of cardio, eat “low-fat” foods and have loyalty cards to Smoothie King but nothing seems to work. Personally, I also struggled with weight loss until my personal trainer at the time (Thank you Sam!) gave me some “real talk.” See, many of the tips and tricks I learned from my mom and friends were flat out wrong. The reality is that our bodies are really smart and really efficient. Therefore we have to shock them in order to get the results we want. We also have to respect the principles of Biology – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “The only way to lose weight is to burn more calories that you consume.” So with these nuggets of wisdom in mind, I also wanted to share the 5 biggest weight loss lies that led me astray for several years…
Must Do More Cardio – Okay, it’s true that minute for minute, cardio burns more calories than weight training.However, if your usual 30-45 minutes on the elliptical or recumbent bike isn’t doing the trick, it’s because you’re heart rate is getting elevated enough. In order to burn a lot of calories, you have work really hard. Yea, like sucking air at times. You heart rate need to reach the anaerobic zone (60-85% of your max heart rate). This is why interval training is so effective. In interval training, you sprint for 20-30 seconds then take a quick rest and repeat. In fact, you can burn twice as man calories in 10 minutes of interval training as compared to 10 minutes of regular, steady pace cardio activity. The truth is that harder, smarter cardio is the key to weight loss, not more cardio.
Skip Meals to Drop Pounds – Skipping meals keeps you from losing weight in 2 key ways: First, doing so makes you binge eat later in the day because you’re starving. Binge eating stretches out your stomach and allows you to consume far too many calories. Also, eating large meals late in the day leaves minimal opportunity for you to burn off the calories (because you are going to sleep soon and the food just sits in your tummy). Second, starving yourself slows down your metabolism which makes it harder for you to burn calories and harder for you to lose weight. Long story short, don’t skip meals. Eat 5 small meals throughout the day that are high in lean protein and fiber. It actually takes true grit to plan 5 healthy meals than to skip breakfast and lunch and indulge in one giant dinner.
Focus on Fat Reduction – This may come as a shock, but the truth is“Fat (in moderation) is GOOD, Sugar is BAD.” We need fat for bodily functions. “Fats help you absorb vitamins A, D, and E, and they are vital for your nervous system.” – Barbara Roberts, MD, director of the Women’s Cardiac Center at the Miriam Hospital in Providence. The key is to eat unsaturated fats like olive oil and olives, canola oil, almonds, cashews, peanuts, peanut butter, sesame seeds and avocados. “Several studies have shown that eating small amounts of nuts helps dieters lose weight because the fiber and protein help dieters feel full longer. Dieters are less like to overeat and more successful at losing weight.” – WebMD 2013Sugar on the other hand is the devil when it comes to weight loss. Sugar absorbs quickly, provides minimal nutritional value, makes you hungry and then turns into bad fat if you don’t immediately burn it off. When making a food decisions, always take unsaturated fats over sugar if weight loss is your goal.
Smoothies Make You Skinny – The truth is that most smoothies are loaded with sugar and too much sugar makes you fat. Now, smoothies are good for meal replacements every once in a while as long as they are made with raw fruits and veggies (not fruit juice) and if they include protein. Be sure to ask for a scoop of whey protein in your smoothie so that you will feel fuller and help offset the sugar spike. Be careful about having smoothies for snacks as you can easily pack on an extra 300-400 calories without even realizing it.
My Genetics Make me Overweight – “While genes strongly decide the shape of your body, peoples’ lifestyle (primarily eating too much and moving too little) is by far the main reason they’re [overweight]. Research has shown that our eating and exercise habits are heavily influenced by the people we spend time with the most, which is likely the main reason we see obesity running in families. Genes have an influence, but it’s relatively minor for the vast majority of humans.” – Melinda Johnson, registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The moral of the story is, “Get rid of the genetics excuse and get you some fit friends.” – Brit For realz.
May the weight-loss TRUTH set you free. xoxo, Brit
Over the Winter Break I enjoyed some time away from my full-time Management Consulting job and spent a couple of weeks at home chilling with family, shopping and visiting new fitness studios in Dallas. While we have several fitness gems in the Big D, my favorite discovery is Beyond Pedaling Studio.
Beyond Studios – Snider Dallas, TX
You guys already know that I’m an indoor cycling fan. I teach indoor cycling at 24 Hour Fitness in Dallas and enjoying reviewing the hottest cycling studios – SoulCycle, FlyWheel, Crank and The Handle Bar to name a few. Unfortunately, most of these studios are not located in Dallas (my hometown). So they are great to visit while I’m traveling, but I hate not having an indoor cycling studio to call “home.” This is no longer the case. BEYOND Pedaling has one my heart and here’s why…..
So first, the studio is located in the adorable Snider Plaza of Dallas’s upscale Highland Park neighborhood. I was expecting the BEYOND staff to be a little “snooty.” But to my surprise, I received a warm welcome (by name) from these two bright shining faces – talk about “knowing your customer.”
Studio Director Kelsey (left) and Instructor Elissa (right)
Then I bask in the studio’s inspiring atmosphere and vibrant decor – love the bold yellow color scheme (although strikingly similar to Soul Cycle). I especially love this quote posted above the lockers – totally inspired!
Beyond Pedaling Studios – Dallas #inspired
There’s also local fitness apparel designers being featured each week so I can get my shopping on before or after class. Most importantly, they sell really cool headbands – YES!
Chillin’ in the Beyond Studio lobby before our workout
During the actual class, we rode on high-quality Keiser spin bikes that have a digital displays to track time, calories, average power and RPM (revolutions per minute). Flywheel has the awesome “Torque” board which is similar in functionality, but most of the other music-driven cycling studios don’t have these displays. I appreciate the ability to keep track of my effort and exertion.
Keiser bikes at Beyond Pedaling Studio – Dallas, TX
Several of the instructors regularly take classes as well as instruct. This helps pump up the energy level and keep the class motivated and in sync. Also, the studio was packed! Empty fitness classes totally depress me. Fortunately class attendance is nothing worry about at BEYOND (especially in Elissa’s classes). Most importantly, the sound system is amazing and the music clearly blasts through the speakers. I felt the beat – the beat was good!
The class itself is a standard, 45 minute indoor cycling ride which includes resistance and speed intervals. Like most of the newer cycling studios, there’s a ~5 minute arm circuit at the end of the ride that utilizes light dumbbells. Overall, there’s nothing revolutionary about the actual workout, but it’s a great sweat nonetheless. A little on the pricier side, $30 per class, Beyond is the most expensive cycling studio in Dallas. However, I think it’s worth the money if you’re looking for a fun, hip, music-driven cycling workout. You’re only other option is FlyWheel on Oak Lawn, but it’s a little more competitive and the music isn’t as good – definitely depends on your personal preference. At the end of the day, BEYOND gets the Grit by Brit “2 thumbs up” – hope see some of the Dallas crew in a class!
Hey everyone! I hope that you enjoyed a nice relaxing weekend and got to watch Beyonce rock it out at the opening of the Grammy’s #getitgurl. Just wanted to quickly spread some good news – GRIT by Brit made Greastist.com’s 60 Must-Read Health, Fitness, and Happiness Blogs for 2014! We are #19 on the list for the best “Strength Training & CrossFit blogs.”
Greatist.com 2014 Best Fitness & Wellness Blogs
CLICK HERE to access the complete list. It’s full of amazing blogs with high-quality, uplifting fitness, nutrition and wellness content.
Most importantly, I want to express my deepest thanks for following my blog and creating such a loving, supportive and fierce GRIT community. I wish you a wonderful week ahead!
Hey gang! Hope you’re enjoying a wonderful weekend full of relaxation and sweaty workouts. I am! Today I went to Turbo Kick class (my fav) for 1 hour of high intensity cardio exercise. I usually stay for the Body Pump class for strength training after my cardio workout. Today I was running low on time, so I got to the gym early and did this super efficient 15 minute Fat Burning Barbell workout instead. This workout is considered “fat burning” because it’s designed to efficiently fatigue the some of largest muscle groups – glutes (booty), quads, hamstrings (legs), lats (back) and delts (shoulders). It’s great to add to the end or beginning of your cardio workout.
Before Turbo Kick class gettin’ my strength and toning on!
When weight training, most of us ladies immediately crank out crunches or grab light dumbbells and do arm exercises. This is great for toning, but if you want to transform your body into a fat burning machine you must fatigue your large muscles. The large muscles exert the greatest amount of energy and burn a ton of calories in the process. Better yet, post-workout they continue to burn calories to repair muscles, thus increasing your metabolism! FYI – metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories.
So without further or do, here’s the workout – I encourage you to try it. I also included some instructional photos from this morning 🙂
Enjoy transforming your body into a sexy, strong fat blasting machine! xoxo, Brit
This weekend my Turbo Kick class was PACKED! More people came than ever before. Clearly getting “fit” is high on our list of New Year’s resolutions. I’m so motivated by the energy, foggy mirrors and soaked pony tails that come out of a packed group fitness class. Unfortunately, I have to face the reality that this awesome feeling will only last for a short while. The February “drop off” is just around the corner. You know what I’m talking about, that point when we all push our resolutions to the back burner. As a group fitness instructor, this is the month I most dread. It’s depressing indeed.
The “February drop off” really makes me sad, because I understand why people quit coming to the gym. I understand because I was one of those people. I was the person who set out the New Year with high hopes and expectations of perfection. However, the minute I slipped up, I beat myself up and quit. I showed myself no grace. It was all or nothing. The crazy thing is that many of us think this “do or die” mindset is critical to achieving our goals, but the reality is that aiming for perfection only assures failure.
I had to learn that each day I’m blessed with a clean slate. What happened yesterday is gone. It doesn’t matter. Yeah, even that chocolate cake I smashed and that workout I skipped. My entire outlook on my health and my weight management changed once I learned to love myself enough to forgive myself for my slip-ups. I had believe that I am worthy of a healthy body despite my occasional lack of discipline. Indulging and being lazy WILL cause a delay in achieving my goals, BUT I can still achieve my goals as long as I DON’T QUIT – the same goes for you!
So, I simply encourage you to be kind to yourself as you set out to achieve your New Year’s resolutions. Calling yourself a “fat cow” after enjoying a burger will NOT help you achieve your goals. However, committing to an extra 30 minutes of cardio will help you 🙂 Hold fast to your goals despite your slip-ups. We are human. We are perfectly imperfect. Embrace it (and keep coming to my Turbo Kick classes.)
